Savage Manor

For over 7 years we lived in a home in Olive Branch, MS.  It was the house where our daughters grew up.  Kaia, our youngest, knew no other place.  We were lucky to have purchased it when the economy was down and while we lived there we put a lot of work into it: a new roof, new carpet, paint, water heater, and so much more.  Outside we planted fruit trees, berry bushes, and most years we kept a large garden.  A lot of work, yes, but to me, it was a form of meditation and exercise.   

Our home, Savage Manor (since we lived in South Manor Cove) sits on almost 2 acres with over 100 trees.  I know the amount of trees because I once counted and labeled them.  The manor is tucked away in a quiet cove away from busy streets but nearby we had all the amenities we needed.  For the most part, the home was exactly what we wanted and we made the best of it.  No doubt we were sad to sell it.

But sell it we did.  I tried to list it myself for about two weeks and only real estate agents called.  Afterward, I reluctantly listed it with my friend, Jeff Smith, dreading the large fee attached to these types of transactions.  His business prowess proved reliable, however, and after seven showings and a month later, it sold, much easier than we expected.  The best part?  I listed it for more than market value.  Why? 

Well, call me sentimental, but I believe the home is unique and eccentric.  It has more character than most houses around the area.  The trees, the large yard, the gazebo, the built-in bookshelves, the railroad tie fence in the back yard, and so on. The other reason was part of me wanted to hold on to it just in case we desired to return one day.  At least then we would have a home waiting for us.   And even though a property manager and renters would probably be a pain in the ass, the equity would continue to build and be an investment.  Business wise, at least in my opinion, it would make sense to keep it.   

But as I mentioned, we sold it, and surprisingly for cash.  This means that we didn’t need an appraisal, a presupposed obstacle to our earning the price we wanted.  How lucky are we?!  But as always, we wonder if we are making the right decision. We will miss the Savage Manor.

STRESS

I feel I can handle stress and pressure well.  Though my wife tells me I should focus more on one thing, I tend to focus on several things all at once.  This takes time and energy but I enjoy it.  However, I assumed when school was out that I would have time to do more writing, reading, and prepping for our trip.  “Time to relax before the journey,” I mistakenly thought. 

Instead I picked up another job teaching online, enrolled the girls in lessons and camps, my sister-in-law has a wedding (congrats!) and I am trying to do as much with friends and family around Memphis as I can before I go.  Add this to selling our home and possessions, storing the rest, attempting to build a blog and Internet presence, travel plans, lesson plans for homeschool… And I’m certain I left something out.

The stress is here.  Not overwhelming at this point, but I can feel the tension in my body and I can see how I react quicker than normal.  The exercise, the meditation, they help, but they can only do so much.  With only two or three weeks before our adventure I am hoping life will slow down for a bit.  But whom am I kidding? 

Just a rant to let everyone know it’s not easy giving up one lifestyle for another, especially when the future is completely unknown and the roots at home are deep.  Be sure to do a lot of introspection and planning before making a big life decision life we did.  Not that we are having doubts, but the effort required is not a small one...